Transferring apparatus and method for manufacturing an integrated circuit device

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment a transferring apparatus comprises a rail connected to a frame, a travelling part including a wheel that travels along the rail and a loading part for loading an object, and a particle collection receptacle provided at a side of the rail and configured to collect particles generated due to friction between the wheel and the rail when the wheel travels along the rail. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device using the transferring apparatus includes moving the travelling part to the object, picking up the object with the loading part thereby loading the object on the loading part, using the travelling part to move the object to a chamber, and forming a semiconductor device using the object.

PRIORITY STATEMENT

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2016-0143076, filed on Oct. 31, 2016 in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office (KIPO), the contents of which are hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

Example embodiments relate to a transferring apparatus and method formanufacturing an integrated circuit device. More particularly, exampleembodiments relate to a transferring apparatus such as an overhead hoisttransfer in use of transferring an object such as a mask duringmanufacturing an integrated circuit device such as a flat panel display.

2. Description of the Related Art

In manufacturing of an integrated circuit device such as a semiconductordevice, a flat panel display, etc., a transferring process may beperformed to transfer an object such as a mask required formanufacturing the integrated circuit device.

Recently, an overhead hoist transfer (OHT) may be used for thetransferring apparatus in manufacturing of the integrated circuitdevice. The OHT may be disposed in a ceiling of a clean room in amanufacturing line of the integrated circuit device.

In particular, the transferring apparatus used for manufacturing anintegrated circuit device may include a rail provided in the ceiling ofthe manufacturing line and a wheel travelling along the rail.

Here, particles may be generated due to friction between the wheel andthe rail when the wheel travels along the rail.

Accordingly, in the transferring process using the conventionaltransferring apparatus for manufacturing an integrated circuit device,process reliability may be deteriorated due to the generated particles.

SUMMARY

Example embodiments provide a transferring apparatus and method formanufacturing an integrated circuit device capable of minimizingoccurrence of particles while travelling along a rail.

In one embodiment a transferring apparatus comprises a rail connected toa frame, a travelling part including a wheel that travels along the railand a loading part for loading an object, and a particle collectionreceptacle provided at a side of the rail and configured to collectparticles generated due to friction between the wheel and the rail whenthe wheel travels along the rail. A method of manufacturing anintegrated circuit device using the transferring apparatus includesmoving the travelling part to the object, picking up the object with theloading part thereby loading the object on the loading part, using thetravelling part to move the object to a chamber, and forming asemiconductor device using the object.

In one embodiment, a transferring apparatus, a rail connected to aframe, a travelling part including a wheel that travels along the railand a loading part for loading an object, and a particle collectingpart, provided at a side of the rail, for collecting particles generateddue to friction between the wheel and the rail when the wheel travelsalong the rail. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit deviceusing the transferring apparatus includes moving the travelling part tothe object, picking up the object with the loading part thereby loadingthe object on the loading part, using the travelling part to move theobject to a chamber, collecting particles in the particle collectingpart, and forming a semiconductor device using the object.

In one embodiment, a transferring apparatus includes a rail connected toa frame, a transport vehicle including a wheel that travels along therail, the transport vehicle used to move an object, and a particlecollection receptacle provided at a side of the rail and configured tocollect particles generated due to friction between the wheel and therail when the wheel travels along the rail. A method of manufacturing anintegrated circuit device includes moving the transport vehicle towardthe object, picking up the objet, using the transport vehicle to movethe object to a chamber, collecting particles in the particle collectionreceptacle, performing a process on a wafer in the chamber using theobject, and forming the integrated circuit device from the processedwafer.

Accordingly, the particles generated due to the friction between thewheels and the rail may be collected stably and easily to therebyimprove process reliability and competitive strength of products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example embodiments will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 represent non-limiting, example embodiments asdescribed herein.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a transferring apparatus used formanufacturing an integrated circuit device in accordance with exampleembodiments.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a rail and a particlecollecting part of the transferring apparatus in FIG. 1 in accordancewith example embodiments.

FIG. 3 depicts a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit deviceusing a transferring apparatus, in accordance with example embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc.may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions,layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layersand/or sections should not be limited by these terms. Unless the contextindicates otherwise, these terms are only used to distinguish oneelement, component, region, layer or section from another element,component, region, layer or section, for example as a naming convention.Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussedbelow in one section of the specification could be termed a secondelement, component, region, layer or section in another section of thespecification or in the claims without departing from the teachings ofthe present invention. In addition, in certain cases, even if a term isnot described using “first,” “second,” etc., in the specification, itmay still be referred to as “first” or “second” in a claim in order todistinguish different claimed elements from each other.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“connected” or “coupled” to or “on” another element, it can be directlyconnected or coupled to or on the other element or intervening elementsmay be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being“directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, or as“contacting” or “in contact with” another element, there are nointervening elements present. Other words used to describe therelationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion(e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directlyadjacent,” etc.).

Embodiments described herein will be described referring to plan viewsand/or cross-sectional views by way of ideal schematic views.Accordingly, the exemplary views may be modified depending onmanufacturing technologies and/or tolerances. Therefore, the disclosedembodiments are not limited to those shown in the views, but includemodifications in configuration formed on the basis of manufacturingprocesses. Therefore, regions exemplified in figures may have schematicproperties, and shapes of regions shown in figures may exemplifyspecific shapes of regions of elements to which aspects of the inventionare not limited.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a transferring apparatus used formanufacturing an integrated circuit device in accordance with exampleembodiments. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a rail and aparticle collecting part of the transferring apparatus in FIG. 1 inaccordance with example embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a transferring apparatus 100 used formanufacturing an integrated circuit device may be an overhead hoisttransfer (OHT), and may include a travelling part 10 having wheels 10 aand configured to transfer an object along a rail 11, a loading part 20connected to the travelling part 10 and configured to grip the objectand move upward and downward, and an adjusting part 12 disposed betweenthe travelling part 10 and the loading part 20 and configured to adjusta position of the object while the travelling part 10 travels, and afall prevention part (not illustrated) configured to maintain theholding of the object during travelling and prevent the object fromfalling down.

As discussed herein, an integrated circuit device may refer to asemiconductor device, a flat panel display, or other electronic devicebeing manufactured. As used herein, a semiconductor device may refer,for example, to a device such as a semiconductor chip (e.g., memory chipand/or logic chip formed on a die), a stack of semiconductor chips, asemiconductor package including one or more semiconductor chips stackedon a package substrate, or a package-on-package device including aplurality of packages. These devices may be formed using ball gridarrays, wire bonding, through substrate vias, or other electricalconnection elements, and may include memory devices such as volatile ornon-volatile memory devices. An integrated circuit device may include,for example, a substrate having an integrated circuit thereon, such as awafer, or a plurality of semiconductor devices formed in an array on awafer.

An electronic device, as used herein, may refer to these semiconductordevices or integrated circuit devices, and may additionally includeproducts that include these devices, such as a memory module, memorycard, hard drive including additional components, or a mobile phone,laptop, tablet, desktop, camera, or other consumer electronic device,etc.

The travelling part 10 may travel along the rail 11 and transfer theobject. The travelling part 10 may move on the rail 11 connected to andsupported on a frame 13 installed, for example on a ceiling of amanufacturing line of the integrated circuit device, the wheels 10 atravelling along the rail 11, a body supporting the wheels 10 a, adriving motor for driving the wheels 10 a, etc. Additional wheels 10 bmay be used as well, for example for stabilization purposes. In oneembodiment, wheels 10 a may be powered by a motor, which may becontrolled by a control system including one or more computers and otherhardware and software equipment. Other mechanisms may be used instead ofor in addition to a such a motor in order to move the travelling part 10along the rails. Wheels 10 a may be positioned to have a radial axisextending in a horizontal direction, and may roll along a top surface ofthe rail 11 (top surface facing the ceiling, and being a horizontalplane, for example). Wheels 10 b may be positioned to have a radial axisextending in a vertical direction, and may roll along a side (e.g.,vertical plane) surface. Both sets of wheels 10 a and 10 b may contactand roll along the surfaces of the rail at the same time, to maintainstability and a close connection. Though two of each type of wheels areshown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, typically at least twopairs of first wheels 10 a are used, and two or more pairs of secondwheels 10 b may be used as well.

The travelling part 10 may refer to just the portion of the transferringapparatus 100 that includes the wheels and a unit (e.g., a box orphysical block) connected to the wheels that supports the portions 18,12, and 20 described further below. This portion may also be referred toas a transport vehicle, which may have the portions 18, 12, and 20connected to it. The term “travelling part” may also be used to describethe entire movable unit including the wheels 10 a and 10 b, the unit 10c, as well as portions 18, 12, and 20.

The loading part 20 may be connected to the travelling part 10 (e.g.,the transport vehicle) and grip and move the object upward and downward.The loading part 20 may be connected to a lower portion of thetravelling part 10. The loading part 20 may include a hand gripper (notillustrated) for gripping the object, a hoist (not illustrated) formoving the object upward and downward, or other known components forholding and moving an object, such as a mask.

The adjusting part 12 may be disposed between the travelling part 10(e.g., the transport vehicle) and the loading part 20 and may adjust theposition of the object. For example, the adjusting part 12 may include aslider, a rotator, etc., for moving the object in a direction in ahorizontal plane. For example, the slider may be mounted on a lowersurface of the travelling part, and the rotator may be mounted on alower surface of the slider. Both the slider and the rotator may includeone or more motors or actuators connected to different components (e.g.,plates, blocks, etc.) so that the components can move in relation toeach other in order to rotate, slide, or otherwise move the loading part20.

The fall prevention part may be mounted on the hand gripper and mayinclude a contact part for gripping the object such as a magazine, adriving part for the contact part, etc.

The transferring apparatus 100 according to example embodiments mayinclude a particle collecting part 14.

The particle collecting part 14 may collect particles generated due tofriction between the wheel and the rail when the travelling part travelsalong the rail 11. The particle collecting part 14 may be provided at aside of the rail 11. The particle collection part 14 may be, forexample, a particle collection receptacle or container. When two rails11 are arranged to be opposite to each other, the particle collectingparts 14 may be provided on opposite sides of the rails 11.

The particle collecting part 14 may include a partition wall 15 disposedat the side of the rail 11 and a fan filter unit (FFU) 17 adjacent tothe partition wall 15. The partition wall 15 may be connected to theframe 13 and the rail 11. When the particles are generated due thefriction between the wheel and the rail, the particles may be collectedin the fan filter unit 17 through the partition wall 15. In oneembodiment, there may be an opening in the partition wall 15 both belowand above the rail 11, so that particles falling both above and belowthe rail can be collected in the fan filter unit 17. The fan filter unit17 may include, for example, a hollow compartment where particles can becollected (e.g., a particle collection compartment), the hollowcompartment formed by surrounding sidewalls, and top cover and a bottomfloor. The fan filter unit 17 may also include other components, such asfilter, a fan to create a suction air flow, or a membrane, adhesive, orother device disposed to prevent particles from escaping the hollowcompartment.

Even though particles are generated during a transfer process using thetransferring apparatus 100, the particles may be collected using theparticle collecting part 14, thereby minimizing adverse effects due tothe particles.

The transferring apparatus 100 may further include a cable securing part19. For example, the cable securing part 19 may include a Litz wiresupport disposed under the rail 11 to secure a cable. The cable securingpart 19 may become curved downward toward the side of the rail 11. Thatis, as the cable securing part 19 gets closer to the particle collectingpart 14, the cable securing part 19 may be bent more downward.

In addition, the cable securing part 19 may be spaced apart from therail 11 to form a space. For example, the cable securing part 19 may bearranged under the rail 11 to form a path through an air flows into theparticle collecting part 14.

In greater detail, a cable securing part 19 may be formed adjacent toand attached to each fan filter unit 17. Taking one cable securing part19 as an example, the cable securing part 19, also described moregenerally as a lower encasement, or tray (e.g., lower or bottom tray),may extend along the length of the rail 11 (e.g., in a first,Y-direction), and may be disposed below the rail. The cable securingpart 19 may extend to and connect at a first end 19 a to the particlecollection part (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2 without any gap therebetween),and may extend at a second, opposite end 19 b, to a location toward acenter of the transferring apparatus, to fully overlap and extend in asecond, X-direction (perpendicular to the first direction) beyond aregion where wheels that engage with the rail 11 are disposed. In oneembodiment, the lower encasement 19 has a first portion P1 adjacent toand closest to the fan filter unit 17 at a first height, a secondportion P2 furthest from the fan filter unit 17 at a second height(e.g., heights being defined in a third, Z-direction perpendicular tothe first direction and the second direction), and a third portion P3between the first portion P1 and second portion P1 that connects thefirst portion P1 to the second portion P2 and is at a height between thefirst height and the second height.

For example, the first portion P1 may be a horizontal portion, and thesecond portion P2 may be a horizontal portion, and the third portion P3may extend at an angle to the horizontal (e.g., diagonally, or bothvertically and horizontally) between the first portion P1 and secondportion P2. The lower encasement 19 may have an angled shape as shown inFIG. 2, but is not limited as such, and may have a curved shape in orderto have a second portion (e.g., P2) higher than a first portion (e.g.P1). As a whole, the lower encasement 19 may be slanted in a downwardmanner when traversing from the second end 19 b toward the first end 19a. By having this orientation, particles arriving at the lowerencasement 19 will naturally flow toward the particle collecting part14, and will avoid passing through to the object loaded on the loadingpart 20. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower encasement 19 mayextend to be closer to the center of the travelling part than the rail,wheels, or other components where particles may be generated duringmovement. The lower encasement 19 may overhang the rail and wheelstoward a center of the travelling part 10, and may also extend beyond anedge of a platform 18 included in the travelling part 10 just below thewheels 10 b. In this manner, the lower encasement 19 may verticallyoverlap any opening above it where particles are formed from movement ofthe wheels 10 a and 10 b, to prevent those particles from passing to theloading part 20 and the object loaded on the loading part 20.

As mentioned above, in the transferring apparatus 100 according toexample embodiments, the partition wall 15 and the fan filter unit 17 ofthe particle collecting part 14 may be arranged sequentially in the sideof the rail 11, and the cable securing part 19 may have a slanted shapetoward the rail 11. Accordingly, particle may flow through the spacebetween the rail 11 and the cable securing part 19 and then may becollected into the fan filter unit 17.

In some example embodiments, a portion of the rail 11 may have a slantedshape in the direction from a center of the transferring apparatus 100toward the partition wall 15. For example, an inner, upper surface ofthe rail 11 that contacts the wheel may have a flat, horizontal surfaceat a first height, and an outer upper surface of the rail 11 may have aslanted surface toward the particle collecting part 14.

Thus, according to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, since thecable securing part 19 as well as the rail 11 has a slanted shape highertoward the center of the transferring apparatus 100 than at the particlecollecting part 14, a down-flow of air from the ceiling to a floor mayflow along the path between the rail 11 and the cable securing part 19toward the particle collecting part 14, rather than toward the objectloaded on the loading part 20, thereby easily collecting the particles.

In some embodiments, the manufacturing line including the transferringapparatus 100 installed therein, the down-flow air may flow from theceiling to the floor. The air may also flow by including additional fanor air flow components that cause air to flow toward the fan filter unit17 (e.g., such components may be included in the fan filter unit 17).Accordingly, the down-flow air may be guided to flow under the rail 11using the slanted shape of the cable securing part 19, thereby directingthe particles to the side of the rail. The particle collecting part 14may be provided at the side of the rail 11 to easily collect particlesgenerated due to friction between the wheel and the rail when thetravelling part travels along the rail 11.

Further, in some embodiments, since the air flows through the pathformed between the rail 11 and the cable securing part 19, the air abovethe rail 11 and the cable securing part 19 may be suctioned (e.g.,through the use of suction fans in the fan filter unit 17), and thus,the particles may be prevented from being dispersed during collecting ofthe particles.

Thus, the transferring apparatus 100 in use of manufacturing theintegrated circuit device may include the particle collecting part 14provided at the side of the rail 11 to collect particles generated dueto friction between the wheel and the rail, and the rail 11 and thecable securing part 19 may form a slanted, downward sloping path betweenthe rail and the cable securing part such that an air is directed toflow toward the particle collecting part 14 in the side of the rail 11,thereby easily collecting the particles.

Accordingly, the particles generated due to the friction between thewheels and the rail may be collected stably and easily to therebyimprove process reliability and competitive strength of an end product.

In use, the transferring apparatus may transfer an object used inmanufacturing an integrated circuit device in the following manner, asshown in FIG. 3. First, in step 301, an air flow system may be turnedon. For example, such an air flow system could include a building airflow system, such as a system built into the ceiling, floor, and/orwalls of a room that houses the transferring apparatus. In addition, oralternatively, the air flow system could include suction elements (e.g.,fans) installed in the fan filter unit 17 of the transferring apparatus,or other air flow equipment.

In step 302, the travelling part 10 (which may include, for example, atransport vehicle) may be moved to a location where an object used formanufacturing is located. The travelling part 10 may move along therails 11 to be positioned near the object. For example, the object canbe a mask used in a lithography process in manufacturing an integratedcircuit device. Next, in step 303, the loading part 20 may be moved, forexample, using an electro-mechanical device connected to a holder suchas a hand-gripper, in a manner that allows the object to be picked up.In step 304, the object is picked up and held by the loading part 20. Instep 305, the object and loading part 20 are moved by the travellingpart 10 moving along the rails 11, in order to move the object to adifferent location. The object may then be moved and released by theloading part 20 (step 306), into equipment that uses the object, forexample, that uses a mask for photolithography. During the travellingprocess, the particle collection part 14 may collect particles generatedas a result of the travelling, and the lower encasement 19 and slantedshape of the rail 11 may prevent particles from reaching the object. Forexample, the lower encasement 19 may form a channel with the bottom ofthe rail 11, where a space is formed between the bottom of the rail 11and the lower encasement 19. The lower encasement may therefore, due toits shape, direct particles toward the particle collection receptacle.

Next, in step 307, the object may be used to perform a step in formingan integrated circuit device such as a semiconductor wafer. For example,the mask may be placed in a chamber where a semiconductor wafer isdisposed, and may be used for a photolithography process to form apattern on the semiconductor wafer. Subsequently, additional steps maybe performed on the wafer, for example to form a semiconductor device(step 308). For example, additional layers may be deposited on the waferto form semiconductor chips, the semiconductor chips may then besingulated, packaged on a package substrate, and encapsulated by anencapsulant to form a semiconductor device.

The above steps may be controlled by a control system including one ormore computers and one or more electro-mechanical devices for moving atravelling part within a transferring apparatus. Also, though the abovesteps are described in a particular order, they need not occur in thatorder necessarily. As one example, the travelling part 10 may be movedprior to the air flow system being turned on.

The foregoing is illustrative of example embodiments and is not to beconstrued as limiting thereof. Although a few example embodiments havebeen described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatmany modifications are possible in example embodiments withoutmaterially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of thepresent invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended tobe included within the scope of example embodiments as defined in theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuitdevice using a transferring apparatus, wherein the transferringapparatus comprises: a rail connected to a frame; a travelling partincluding a wheel that travels along the rail and a loading part forloading an object; and a particle collection receptacle provided at aside of the rail and configured to collect particles generated due tofriction between the wheel and the rail when the wheel travels along therail, the method including: moving the travelling part to the object;picking up the object with the loading part thereby loading the objecton the loading part; using the travelling part to move the object to achamber; and forming a semiconductor device using the object.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the object is a mask, and further comprising:performing a photolithography process using the mask when the mask is inthe chamber, to form a pattern of the semiconductor device.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the particle collection receptacle includes:a partition wall disposed at the side of the rail; and a particlecollection compartment adjacent to the partition wall.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein the particle collection compartment is a fan filterunit.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein a first portion of an uppersurface of the rail contacts the wheel and has a flat surface and asecond portion of the upper surface of the rail has a slanted surfacesloping downward toward the particle collection receptacle.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising a lower encasement disposed underthe rail, the lower encasement extending in a first direction along therail, and disposed to have a first end in a second direction adjacent tothe particle collection receptacle and a second end opposite the firstend in the second direction, wherein the second end is at a higherheight than the first end.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the lowerencasement is slanted in a downward direction to be higher at the secondend than at the first end.
 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:collecting the particles using the lower encasement to direct theparticles toward the particle collection receptacle.
 9. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the lower encasement is shaped and positioned toprevent particles from the travelling part above the lower encasementfrom reaching the object loaded on the loading part, which is below thelower encasement.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second end ofthe lower encasement vertically overlaps and extends beyond a portion ofthe travelling part where the wheel travels along the rail.
 11. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the particle collection receptacle is spacedapart from the rail to form a space between the rail and the particlecollection receptacle.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein air flowingthrough the transferring apparatus pushes the particles through thespace toward the particle collection receptacle.
 13. A method ofmanufacturing an integrated circuit device using a transferringapparatus, wherein the transferring apparatus comprises: a railconnected to a frame; a travelling part including a wheel that travelsalong the rail and a loading part for loading an object; and a particlecollecting part, provided at a side of the rail, for collectingparticles generated due to friction between the wheel and the rail whenthe wheel travels along the rail, the method including: moving thetravelling part to the object; picking up the object with the loadingpart thereby loading the object on the loading part; using thetravelling part to move the object to a chamber; collecting particles inthe particle collecting part; and forming a semiconductor device usingthe object.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: a lowerencasement below the rail and the wheel; and a space between the railand the lower encasement that forms a channel.
 15. The method of claim14, wherein air flowing through the transferring apparatus pushes theparticles through the space toward the particle collecting part.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the particle collecting part is a particlecollection receptacle including sidewalls, a top cover, a bottom floor,and a compartment formed by the sidewalls, top cover, and bottom floor.17. The method of claim 14, wherein the lower encasement has a downwardslope in a direction from a middle of the transferring apparatus towardthe rail.
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the rail includes aportion at a top surface of the rail that is slanted downward in adirection from an inside of the rail toward the particle collectionpart.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the particle collecting partincludes a particle collection compartment and a partition wall next tothe rail, and through which the particles travel to reach the particlecollection compartment.
 20. A method of manufacturing an integratedcircuit device using a transferring apparatus, wherein the transferringapparatus comprises: a rail connected to a frame; and a transportvehicle including a wheel that travels along the rail, the transportvehicle used to move an object; a particle collection receptacleprovided at a side of the rail and configured to collect particlesgenerated due to friction between the wheel and the rail when the wheeltravels along the rail, the method including: moving the transportvehicle toward the object; picking up the object; using the transportvehicle to move the object to a chamber; collecting particles in theparticle collection receptacle; performing a process on a wafer in thechamber using the object; and forming the integrated circuit device fromthe processed wafer.